Of course there’s “nothing wrong in paying for something”, but did you read the article? My analogy used an espresso not a latte but the point remains: a coffee is discretionary spend whereas WiFi for most of us is not.

The cost of electricity and lifts has to be covered too, but do you charge your guests for that as well?

You will only be able to hide behind technicalities for so long because your competitors (including many budget hotels) are managing to get it done. It’s your job to go and figure this stuff out and not your guests’ problem.

If so many other hotels are smart enough to implement free WiFi AND absorb the cost AND stay competitive (including most of the hotels highest-rated on TripAdvisor), surely it can’t be that crazy an idea, can it?

Or do you think the many TripAdvisor guest reviews which complain about WiFi charges are “stupid” too?

I know there are issues and costs to overcome before all hotels can offer free WiFi. But at the end of the day, it’s the ones that manage to resolve them and give consumers what they want that will “win”.

It’s ultimately a business decision for hotels: will you take the short-term hit and “go with the flow” or resist something that is going to happen anyway through demand and competition?

As an outsider, I am puzzled that that many hotels (from hostels right up to 5* hotels), cafés, airports, etc.. around the world (particularly in Southeast Asia and South America) offer free wi-fi – the Argentinian city of Salta even has free city-wide wi-fi! – while in Europe and North America, we’re bickering about the cost of providing this service. In Europe & North America, free wi-fi is offered in cafés, and lower-end accommodation like hostels, budget hotels and inns so I find it odd that the larger hotels (where guests pay more) charge for it. If the small establishments can afford it, why not larger hotels? I’m often inclined to dismiss the cost argument and instead see it as a ‘treasured’ source of ancillary income, especially at hotels that charge exorbitant rates for internet access. It never fails to annoy me when I see hotels charging crazy rates for internet access. The hotel may be fab but the mental note has already been made in my mind never to stay there again.

I seriously believe that hotels have to see free wi-fi as an additional service, like fresh towels and sheets every day, or complimentary mineral water. People increasingly need access to the internet to stay in touch, or do their work. I feel that hotels that do offer free wi-fi should use this as a selling point. I already see many booking engines which provide users the option of blocking out all hotels which do not offer free wi-fi. With one click of the mouse, hotels with free wi-fi will be the only ones listed in the hotel search results.

That said, I like Jason’s compromise above, i.e. provide free wi-fi to those who only need to check their email, etc.. I would like to add my own suggestion: if it’s too costly to provide free wi-fi in the rooms, then provide it in a central location, like the hotel lounge or café where guests can comfortably sit and work, check emails, etc… while enjoying a cup of coffee or a drink with a snack. I’m sure the income from the drinks/snacks will more than cover the cost of providing free wi-fi. I’m sure that’s not too much to ask!

Keith

I hate airline baggage charges too, but at least they’re transparent i.e. I know I’m going to pay them before I buy my ticket online.

With WiFi charges there’s rarely any warning on the website before you reserve saying “do you realise that WiFi will cost $XX extra?”.

Of course hotels want to cover their costs but you answer the question eloquently when you say “my small country inn offers free wifi”.

If your little country inn can do it (and I really admire you for this) then why can’t the biggest brands in the hotel business?

They spend lots of money on advertising, marketing departments, piped music and other amenities that I don’t need or value, so why can’t they channel resources instead toward something as basic as WiFi?

The bandwidth issue is a relevant one and I have no problem if hotels have a “fair usage” policy and penalise guests in breach of the rules, as long as these are visibly and clearly stated.

I am both a salesman who travels quite a bit and the owner of a small inn. There is definitely real costs involved with providing ‘free’ WiFi. The fact that a substantial number of lodging properties offer it ‘free’ demonstrates the ability to absorb those real costs into their infrastructure. Like having a swimming pool, hotels realize that their guests appreciate free access and guests are happy whether they use it or not since it does not require extra expenditure.

But there is a big problem when bandwidth hogs who show up at a property and download movies, tv programs or other bandwidth heavy files. What happens to the service for everyone else at the property? It gets slow and cumbersome, resulting in disgruntled guests. Providing a limited amount of bandwidth in the property so that guests can check email or look up a few items online could be free but a $12-$15 charge for someone that uses a certain amount of bandwidth would be justifiable. A two step solution would make sense for the high end hotels who could provide their valued guests with more service by providing high quality bandwidth.

We all understand the difference between first and coach class when flying.

If you are going to yell at hotels about WiFi, please start on the airlines for charging for baggage. Charging for baggage results in a higher overall cost to fly for consumers and makes the overhead storage and the whole cabin that much more cram packed, resulting in more anguish while traveling. Everytime the flight attendants try to get me to leave my luggage at the gangway because they say they are out of room in the cabin, I want to explode. I wouldn’t have carried on if they weren’t charging and now that I have dragged my luggage all the way through security and to the plane myself, I am not turning it over to have to wait for them to unload when the flight arrives.

Hotels should pay attention because modelling after the airlines is a sure way to go bankrupt.

By the way, my small country inn offers free wifi.

Jason

The Barron Brook Inn

In their defence, hotels here often offer access for “$15 an hour, or $25 for 24 hours”. But who needs 24 hours of access? As a travel writer on assignment I only need probably about 2 or three hours in a 24 hour period. The inflexibility is irritating.

Also, it does cost hotels my business to some extent. When I travel I do select hotels that have free or cheap wifi. And if stuck in a hotel with expensive charges, I’ll leave the building to find a net cafe, or regular cafe with free access, nearby. Thus losing the hotel any revenue at all.